The fact that only 33 of the total 2444 T20Is played so far have resulted in a tie proves that a ‘tied cricket match’ is a rare occurrence. Fans of yesteryears who are advocates of Tests were okay with a game-ending without a deciding winner. After all, there are times when there isn’t much to choose between two teams. However, the followers of the modern T20 era don’t concur with it. They want to have definite results (of course by fair means). This gave birth to Super Overs - both teams bat for an over each and whoever scores more is declared the winner.
Now imagine the chances of a Super Over ending in a tie and resulting in another one! Well, the odds aren’t that great but it has happened twice on the international stage - the latest being the game played between India and Afghanistan on 17th January 2024. It reminded us of the match where we witnessed this for the first time - Mumbai Indians vs Kings XI Punjab, played on October 18, 2020, in the thirteenth season of the Indian Premier League. The game kept swinging from one end to the other and predicting the winner was extremely difficult till the very end. Talking of predictions, you can check IPL match predictions on Betindia for the latest insights. In this article, we will turn back the clock and revisit that historical encounter.
Mumbai Indians Bat First
The match was played at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Mumbai Indians won the toss and opted to bat first. Thanks to some brilliant swing bowling by Arshdeep Singh and Mohammad Shami, they lost three wickets in the first powerplay with the scoreboard reading just 43. Quinton de Kock and Krunal Pandya, who was sent ahead of his younger brother, steadied the ship by adding 58 runs for the fourth wicket and laid a foundation for the likes of Pollard and Hardik to go for the kill at the end. Hardik didn’t impress much as he was dismissed for just 8, but Pollard did the job for his team by scoring a 12-ball 34. He was ably supported by Nathan Coulter-Nile, who scored 24 in as many deliveries. MI ended with a respectable 176.
Kings XI Punjab’s Reply
KXIP kept losing wickets at regular intervals, but KL Rahul stuck at one end and scored a captain’s knock of 77. He found able partners in Chris Gayle and Nicholas Pooran, with both West Indians scoring 24 each. After Rahul’s dismissal in the 18th over, it was left to Deepak Hooda and Chris Jordan to help their team cross the finish line. Both played their part and it was down to 2 runs off the last delivery. Jordan could manage only a single as he got run out while completing the second run (the English allrounder might have made it, had he not turned around in a big circle after completing the first run, as he had to run the extra yard as a result).
First Super Over
Scores were level and it was time for KXIP to take the first strike. Pooran opened the batting with Rahul, but was dismissed on the first ball he faced. Rahul too, got out on the last ball of the over trying to go for the maximum and KXIP could manage only 5 runs. Everyone thought Bumrah had won the game for his team, but Shami had other plans. The Amroha-born speedster bowled one of the best overs of his IPL career and restricted Rohit & Co. to a mere 5 runs. It was a masterclass in ‘How to Bowl a Yorker.’
Second Super Over
It was now time for MI to set the target. Hardik and Pollard took a strike and helped Mumbai set a target of 12 runs. Since Bumrah had bowled in the previous Super Over, the ball was thrown to Trent Boult, while Gayle and Mayank Agarwal came onto the field for Punjab. The two went about their job right from the start and helped their team chase down the target with 2 balls to spare.
It was a historical game that gave everyone from the players to the fans some lifelong memories to cherish and validated the fact that the game of cricket never ceases to surprise.
